Oklahoma·Production Occupations·SOC 51-9162

Best Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmer programs in Oklahoma, ranked by enrollment

Develop programs to control machining or processing of materials by automatic machine tools, equipment, or systems.

11 schools in Oklahoma run programs that feed this job, graduating 108 people a year. The job pays a median of $65,590 in Oklahoma across about 330 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledProgrammerCNC Operator (Computer Numerical Control Operator)CNC Machinist (Computer Numerical Control Machinist)CNC Programmer (Computer Numerical Control Programmer)Application EngineerNumerical Tool ProgrammerProcess Control ProgrammerMetal Numerical Tool Programmer
Graduates / yr
108
in Oklahoma
Median pay · Oklahoma
$65,590
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
330
people employed
Schools
11
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
68%
across those schools
Median net price
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Oklahoma that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.

1 programs in Oklahoma that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Oklahoma (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Oklahoma page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
CIP 48.0510In Oklahoma
108
100.0%
11$36,566$9,429

Top 11 schools in Oklahoma

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 3 of the 11 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1Gordon Cooper Technology Center
Shawnee, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
23Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist$39,01890%
2Tulsa Technology Center
Tulsa, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
20Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist$28,98381%
3Francis Tuttle Technology Center
Oklahoma City, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
10Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist52%
4Green Country Technology Center
Okmulgee, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
10Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist67%
5Moore Norman Technology Center
Norman, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
10Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist91%
6Autry Technology Center
Enid, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
9Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist75%71%
7Kiamichi Technology Center - McAlester
McAlester, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
9Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist$24,01745%
8Meridian Technology Center
Stillwater, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
5Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist48%
9Pioneer Technology Center
Ponca City, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
5Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist73%
10Red River Technology Center
Duncan, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
5Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist53%
11Canadian Valley Technology Center
El Reno, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
2Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist71%

All 11 schools in Oklahoma

Every school in Oklahoma with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.

All schools in Oklahoma that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
Gordon Cooper Technology CenterShawneePublic231
Tulsa Technology CenterTulsaPublic201
Francis Tuttle Technology CenterOklahoma CityPublic101
Green Country Technology CenterOkmulgeePublic101
Moore Norman Technology CenterNormanPublic101
Autry Technology CenterEnidPublic91
Kiamichi Technology Center - McAlesterMcAlesterPublic91
Meridian Technology CenterStillwaterPublic51
Pioneer Technology CenterPonca CityPublic51
Red River Technology CenterDuncanPublic51
Canadian Valley Technology CenterEl RenoPublic21

What computer numerically controlled tool programmers earn in Oklahoma

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual in Oklahoma
$65,590
Mean annual
$69,910
Jobs in state
330
What the range looks like
10th pct$44,170Median$65,59090th pct$99,180
Versus the national median
-3.7%

U.S. median $68,120. Oklahoma pays below the national figure.

Job concentration
1.05×

1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.

Metro areas in Oklahoma

Tulsa, OK
$69,700median
130 jobs
Oklahoma City, OK
$66,950median
70 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
+12.8%
Much faster than average
Openings per year
3,100
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
3,600
28,300 → 31,900
Typical entry education
Postsecondary nondegree award
Plus moderate-term on-the-job training

Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.

How to get in

The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers page.

How to become a Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmer

Job zone 2 of 5 · SVP Below 6.0
Typical entry education
Postsecondary nondegree award
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training

Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Top skills

MonitoringMathematicsReading ComprehensionActive ListeningCritical ThinkingSpeaking

The same job in other states

Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.

Related careers in Oklahoma

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 1 majors mapped to Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers1 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
  • 48.0510Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist

Common questions

Answers for people weighing computer numerically controlled tool programmers programs in Oklahoma.

What degree do you need to become a Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmer?+

Postsecondary nondegree award is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist, which awarded 108 degrees in Oklahoma in 2024-25, 100.0% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming a Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmer?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 1 programs to this occupation. The largest are Precision Metal Working. Together they graduate about 108 people a year in Oklahoma.

How much do computer numerically controlled tool programmers earn in Oklahoma?+

The median is $65,590 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 3.7% below the U.S. median of $68,120. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Is demand for computer numerically controlled tool programmers growing?+

BLS projects a +12.8% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, much faster than average, with roughly 3,100 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career in Oklahoma?+

11 institutions in Oklahoma reported graduates from at least one of the 1 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

What other job titles do computer numerically controlled tool programmers work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Programmer, CNC Operator (Computer Numerical Control Operator), CNC Machinist (Computer Numerical Control Machinist), CNC Programmer (Computer Numerical Control Programmer) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 51-9162.

Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers in other statesNorth CarolinaIllinoisWisconsinMinnesotaGeorgiaConnecticutTexasIowa

About the data on this page

Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).

  • BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics

    May 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.

  • IPEDS Completions

    2024-25 (provisional)

    Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.

  • College Scorecard, Field of Study

    2020-21 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.

    Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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